Raising Regulators
by SteveChavez
Summary: We all know how Billy Bonney came to be on John Tunstall's farm but what about the other Regulators?
1. Richard

The morning sun rose and lit the little town of Lincoln, New Mexico fully at around seven o' clock. It was June now, and the sun was rising sooner than usual each day. This morning found a forty-five year old John Tunstall, accompanied by his lawyer and close friend Alex McSween and Alex's wife Susan, stopping his wagon in front of his brand new store at the south end of town. It had been nearly two months ago that he'd come here to this little western town all the way from London England, and since then he had managed to set up quite a fine new life for himself here. There were a large group of cowhands coming up from Texas, scheduled to arrive in a few weeks, bringing the cattle he had purchased with them. They had been hired to drive them to John's ranch and then drop them off there before heading back to their own outfit in Texas, so there was still the matter of hiring on hands once the cattle arrived. The ranch itself was three thousand acres of wild New Mexican wilderness where somewhere in the very center a little adobe house stood, with a barn in front of it and a bunkhouse out back. There was land enough for hundreds of cattle but for now John would be starting off with only fifty head. But this was only until he could find some willing ranch hands to hire on. He'd buy more cattle when he had the men to take care of them. Now the store was a different story. This was something he could start on right away. The old place needed a lot of repairs and even more cleaning, but John was confident that he could get it up and running before his cattle arrived at the ranch in around three weeks. "Well, my dear friends, what do you think?" John asked, turning around in his seat to face Alex and Susan. Alex shook his head. "The place needs a lot of work, John." He said. "I don't know if we can get it done on time. Not even with the three of us working together." John got down from the wagon and walked up the front stairs to the store. "Nonsense, Alex." He said with a confident smile. "If we give it everything we have this old place will be up and operating in no time." Susan chuckled at as Alex shook his head. John sure was a persistent fellow. "Now then, Alex..." John continued opening the door of the old building. "Shall we get started?" Alex sighed and got down from the wagon before helping Susan down too. The couple then walked up the stairs of the boardwalk and followed John into what was now his general store.

...

For two weeks they worked to get the old place back into shape, but still with only the three of them, they were falling behind schedule. They needed another set of hands to help out. Another worker would surely be the answer to their prayers. And it just so happened that that answer was closer then any of them thought. The stagecoach came into Lincoln one hot sunny day at noon, and almost as soon as they'd stopped, a young, dark haired, dark eyes boy jumped off of the front seat where he'd been sitting next to the driver. Over one shoulder he carried a burlap sack filled with some clothes he'd packed before leaving home, and in his other hand he carried a rifle. There was a belt around his thin waist that held a six shooter as well, though he looked and should have been way too young for such weaponry. Especially when he seemed to be alone. John had been out on the front porch of the store, replacing the window glass when the stagecoach dropped the boy off, and now he stood, watching the child with a curious and worried eye. Why would such a young child be traveling alone out here in the rough and unforgiving West? John haulted his work and stood up straight by the front door to keep a better eye on the boy as he approached the door of the little cafe in the middle of town. The poor thing was probably starving if he'd been on is own for so long, and since John assumed that the child had no money, he figured he'd follow the young man in and treat him to a nice big meal. Then maybe he could find out more about this mysterious young stranger. "Alex, Susan. I'm going for dinner." He called to his friends who were inside the store. "Would you like to accompany me?" Alex shook his head. "No, that's okay, John." He said. "We ate a big breakfast this mornin'." Susan nodded in agreement. "You go on ahead, John." She told him. "We'll be fine here for a little while." John nodded and tipped his hat with a smile. "I'll be back shortly." He promised before walking back outside and crossing the street to the little town cafe. He entered the little restaurant just in time to the the young boy place a couple of shiny pennies on the front counter. "Sweetie, this ain't gonna cover a whole meal." The young lady behind the counter told him. John could see the disappointment in the child's eyes from where he stood. The poor thing was starving but he didn't have the money to pay for food. The boy sighed and turned to walk away but before he could leave John walked up to the counter and placed two shiny silver dollars on the counter. "Two meals please. One for me and one for this young gentleman." John turned and smiled kindly at the boy who was now looking at him with confused brown eyes. The woman nodded. "Sit wherever ya want." She told them both. "Your food'll be out in a minute." John turned to the boy and motioned for him to follow him. The boy hesitated for a moment, obviously confused why this strange man would pay for his food, but confusion and fear quickly gave into hunger and he followed John to a table. "Now then, my young man." John said, once they'd taken their seats at a table at the fat end of the cafe. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm John Tunstall. I own a ranch just outside of town. And the new store that will soon be in operation here." John extended his hand to the young stranger. The boy nodded and shook John's hand. "Nice to meet ya, mister Tunstall." He said. "Name's Richard. Richard Brewer." John nodded and smiled at the boy. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Richard." He said. The young boy gave a small grin then went silent. John looked him over carefully. "I don't mean to pry, Richard..." He said. "But you look a bit young to be out here on your own...Are your parents nearby?" The boy looked up at him with sad eyes and shook his head. "No sir." He answered. John frowned. "I'm very sorry, my boy." He said. "You have my condolences."

"Oh, no sir." The boy replied. "They ain't dead...or at least not both of 'em anyway. Pa died of small pox last year but Mama's still alive and well." John nodded. "My apologies, Richard, I shouldn't have just assumed." The boy shrugged. "It's alright." He muttered quietly. John eyed him carefully. "If you don't mind me asking, dear boy, where is your mother?" He asked the child. Richard looked up at him again, but this time he seemed very reluctant to answer. "She's back home." He said, his voice uneasy. John raised an eyebrow. "And where exactly is home?" He asked. The boy looked down at the floor before replying quietly, "Vermont." John's eyes widened at the boy's reply. "Vermont?" He asked. "Well you're a bit far from home then aren't you?" The boy nodded slowly. "Bank took the farm after Pa died." He said. "We're real poor, Mister Tunstall. I came out here to find work. Mama can't feed us all with the money she's been makin'." John's eyes saddened. The poor child. He needed help, that much was obvious. "Does your mother know your here, lad?" He asked his new young friend. Richard looked up at John for a moment and then down at the floor before shaking his head. "I left her a note." He told John. "Told her I was headed to New Mexico. Said I'd heard there might be some kind of ranch work down this'a way." John nodded. "Don't you think she might be worried?" He asked. Richard shrugged. "Probably not." He replied. "She's probably glad I left home. She's got one less mouth to feed with me gone." John frowned. "I'm willing to bet that she's worried sick about you, young man." He told Richard. "How old are you anyway?" Richard looked up at John. "Ten." He told him. John sighed. "Well, Richard. I know you'll probably think that I'm wrong by telling you this but I think you should go back home to your family. The West is no place for such a young man." Richard shook his head. "I can't Mister Tunstall." He told him. "I promised my Pa 'fore he died that I'd be the man of the house. That take care of Mama and the little ones. I can't go back to 'em with nothin'. I gotta do somethin' to help or they'll all end up starvin'." John could see tears forming in the boys eyes. He was desperate. Anyone with a good eye could see it. This boy needed help now, and John decided he was just the man to do it. He sighed as he finally made up his mind about what to do. "Well, my young man, if that's the case I suppose it wouldn't be right to send you back now." The boy sniffled and looked up at John hopefully. "I'll tell you what. Why don't we send your mother a telegram and let her know that you're safe and sound and where your at, then you can stay here if she gives her blessing. Fair enough?" He asked the boy.

Richard nodded. "Yes sir..." He agreed. "B..but how am I gonna find work if she let's me stay? All the folks I asked already said I was too little to handle a man's work and sent me away." John pulled a thoughtful face and looked the boy over again. "Stand up for me, lad." He told Richard. The little cowboy obeyed and stood up from the table. "Well you seem able enough to handle a man's work to me." He told him. "How are you with cattle, Richard?" The boy's face lit up. "Real good, Mister Tunstall." He told him. "We raised cattle back home 'fore the bank took the farm." John nodded. "Well.." He said. "It just so happens that I'm expecting a shipment of cattle to arrive at my ranch in a matter of days now. But, alas I've yet to find a single wiling sole to work them." Richard gasped and gave John a hopeful look. "Are...are you offerin' me a job, Mister Tunstall?" He asked, his dark eyes filled with hope. John smiled and nodded. "I'm in desperate need of a Foreman more than anything else at the moment." He said to the boy. "If you're interested, Richard, the job is yours." A smile wider than John had ever seen spread across the young cowboy's face and he looked up at John with big brown, grateful eyes. "Thank ya, real kindly, Mr. Tunstall." He said. "I don't know how To repay ya fer this." John smiled then turned his head when he heard foot steps behind him. The young woman who owned the Cafe laid two big plates of food in front of John and Richard. "There ya are, Fellas." She said, before walking off. John looked back at the boy. "How about you just put some muscle back on those bones of yours and we'll call it even, huh?" John said with a smile. Richard smiled back and nodded before he began digging into what was most likely his first meal in days. John smiled. He'd taken care of the foreman job, and he'd managed to save a young runaway from starvation and probably help his family start to edge there way out of poverty as well. It had been a very successful day for him. Now if he could only find some other ranch hands to assist Richard and himself everything would be perfect.

TBC


	2. Doc

A whole year had passed since John had taken Richard Brewer into his home. The boy was now eleven years old, and would be turning twelve this coming winter. He'd put on a lot of muscle since first arriving in Lincoln and had also proven to be a very hard worker around the ranch. He did everything that was asked of him without complaint but most of the time he didn't even need to be asked to do anything. He just did the work when he knew it needed to be done. John was proud of the boy. Proud like a father would be of his son, and of course, young Richard was like his son now. After all he had been living and working with John for a year now. John had also been teaching the boy to read and write. Even though Richard had had some schooling back up North, he still had trouble with a lot of reading material, and writing was the same for him, but John had taught him well and now the little cowboy could read just about any book or newspaper that was given to him. There was another thing about this little dark eyed cowboy that John had noticed after a while. Richard seemed to have a lot of very strong leadership qualities. He often demonstrated them whenever the merchandise wagon came to drop of John's store supplies, or when the Texans arrived at the ranch with more cattle. Richard would always be right there to meet them with a list of instructions on what to do and how to do it. Then after he'd given his orders he'd demonstrate how to do the task properly before supervising the men while the task at hand was completed to be sure everything was done right. John found this quality in the boy to be both useful and very humorous since it was quite amusing to watch a small eleven year old boy dictate a group of grown men how to do their jobs. But some of the locals were annoyed by the young lad's bossy behavior and had christened him with the nickname "Dick". Yes it was a common nick name for Richard, but John soon began to realize that the people who'd come up with the boy's new nickname had their own reasons for giving the child this name. So instead of going along with the other citizens of Lincoln, John, Alex, and Susan continued to call the boy by his god given name, never once letting Richard know the reasons behind the nickname the towns people had given him, fearing that it would upset him. But of course you can't keep secrets forever, and that fact proved right when one night before reading, Dick had asked John why he and the McSween's still called him Richard when everyone else now called him by his nickname. John hadn't replied right away.

He simply told the boy he had something special for him to read that night, and after they'd cleaned up the kitchen from supper, John went to his bookshelf and pulled out an old book that described the life and reign of King Richard the 1st of England. He'd had Dick read from the book that night, and surprisingly, Dick continued to read it whenever he got the chance. He'd read from the book whenever he had free time, and finally one night after dinner Dick finished reading the last page of the book aloud to John, and as he closed it shut he looked up at John and asked. "John? If this guy was Richard the first, doesn't that mean there were more after him?" John just smiled and nodded. "Yes, my boy, it does." He told him. "There were two more after him actually." Dick gave John a questioning look. "Were they kings too?" He asked. John nodded. "Yes they were." He said with a grin. Dick gnawed at his lip and thought for a moment. "How come there was so many kings with my name?" He finally asked after thinking it over for awhile. John simply smiled at the boy. "Well, my young man, Richard is a name well fit for a King." Dick raised an eyebrow. "How so?" He asked, confused.

"The meaning of your name is Hard Ruler, Richard." John told him. "Richard the first proved that this is in fact true, for he was a very great and respected leader. He had all the qualities that a good leader should and he was very successful because of this. I see these same qualities in you, my dear boy. You have everything it takes to become a great leader, and if you learn to use these qualities wisely you too will be successful just as the King was."

John's words on that night had lit a fire of confidence inside the young cowboy's heart, and he began trying to control how he used his leadership skills. He wasn't as bossy anymore, only when he needed to be, and he tried to be more helpful when he was giving people instructions by actually lending a hand and taking part in the task instead of standing by and dictating how it should be done. John was even prouder of the boy then he'd been before. Dick truly had become a great leader, but his skills were normally wasted since John still had yet to find anymore hands to hire on. And aside from the matter of his leadership skills going to waste, Dick was getting rather lonely. Sure he had John, Alex, and Susan for company, but he was a young boy. He needed the companionship of other children his own age, and the only time he ever got that was when their were parties in town, which wasn't often at all. John realized that he was going to have to find a permanent source of companionship for his young adopted son, and it was with this realization that a solution presented itself almost immediately.

...

John and Dick were sitting inside the house, eating dinner one dark stormy Autumn night, when suddenly there came a distressed high pitched nicker from the barn. Both John and Dick got up from the table, grabbed their slickers and rushed outside with a lantern to see what had happened. Dick had brought a rifle with him just incase there was trouble. When they reached the barn, the two realized that the door was open, when it had been closed before. A bolt of lightning suddenly flashed then, and lit up the barn hard. Dick gasped when he realized there was blood dripping down the handle on the barn door and running down the length of the door to the ground. John's eyes grew wide. "Hand me your rifle, Richard." He instructed the young boy. Dick nodded and handed over his weapon to John. "Now follow me, and stay close." John then told him. Dick nodded and followed John closely as the older man slowly pushed the barn door open before stepping inside and tiptoeing across the barn floor, using the lantern to light the way. There didn't seem to be anything abnormal inside the barn that John noticed, and he turned back to Richard after he'd checked the whole barn. "I expect it just some of the stallions getting into a quarrel again. They probably got out somehow while they were fighting." He told the boy. "Come, let's go back inside." Dick nodded and turned to leave, but as he took his next step, a hand shot up out of the hay and grabbed his ankle. The boy jumped and shouted and fell back into the hay when the owner of the hand let go of him. John looked back to be sure that Dick was okay then looked back to see just who the hand who'd grabbed the boy belonged to.

He held the lantern close to the ground and kneeled down, and lying there, half covered by the hay, there laid a young boy with bright blonde hair and blue eyes looking up weakly at him. The boy was bleeding. He'd been shot. "Hel..help me... pl..please ." They boy begged before his eyes closed and he passed out. John's eyes widened and he quickly checked the boy's pulse. He was alive, but he needed help right away. John picked the boy up and carried him towards the barn. Dick jumped up and followed him. "John!" He shouted after him. "John! What's goin' on!?" John rushed the new boy into the house and laid him down on his bed before finally turning back to Richard. "Richard I'm going for the doctor. Stay here and keep an eye on him." He told his young companion. Dick nodded and stepped into the bedroom where the young stranger was lying. He knew what to do. He had to wrap the wound. Quickly, Dick ran to the drawer that John kept all his emergency medical supplies in and dug out a bottle of liniment and some bandages. He put a pot of water on the stove to heat up too, and while it was warming up he kept pressure against the wound with a damp rag to try and stop the bleeding.

Suddenly the young stranger opened his eyes a bit. "Wha..what happened?" He asked, weakly. "Your hurt." Dick said, looking up at the boy. "Try to hold still. I'm gonna try and patch ya up for now. Mr. Tunstall went to get the doctor." The blonde boy looked confused. "Wh..who?" He asked. "Just relax, okay." Dick told him. "We can talk later." The blonde just laid back again and passed out. Dick sighed, and went to get the hot water from the stove. He cleaned the wound out, and coated it with liniment oil before gently wrapping it with the bandages.

John arrived back with the doctor a few moments later. "What happened to him?" The doctor asked John. "I'm not entirely sure." John replied. "Richard and I found him like this in the barn." The doctor immediately went to work, though it seemed like Richard had already done most of his work for him. "It's only a flesh wound, and it's gone straight through. I think he'll make it." The doctor told John after awhile. "He was lucky though. A couple more inches and he would've been gut shot." John nodded. "Thank you for coming out, Doctor." He thanked him. "No trouble, John." The doctor replied before leaving. John looked at Richard. "Go on and prepare for bed, Richard." He told him. "I'm going to keep an eye on him." Dick nodded and headed towards the guest bedroom he'd been sleeping in, since John didn't want him to have to stay in the bunkhouse on his own at night. He dressed himself in his night shirt then went into the kitchen area to get himself a glass of the milk that he'd brought in for dinner earlier, but after he'd gotten his drink and walked back across the house to his room, he heard John talking softly in the main bedroom. Dick stopped in his tracks and then walked slowly towards John's bedroom. As he approached the door he could just barely hear yet another voice, though this one was much quieter and sounded a bit weak.

Dick poked his head in from behind the door slowly and inside the room he could see John sitting on the edge of the bed, talking to the young blonde boy who's bright blue eyes were now open and alert. Richard could faintly hear the boy say something and then saw him slowly turn his head to look at him. John turned to look at him as well. "Oh, Richard, come on in." He said, motioning for Dick to come into the room. Dick hesitated for a moment. "Come now, Richard..." John tried again. "There's no need to be afraid." Dick stood still for a moment but then slowly opened the door up and stepped inside. He kept his eyes on the new boy the whole time. "Richard, I'd like you to meet Josiah Scurlock." John said, calmly as he placed both hands comfortingly on his young companions shoulders.

Richard kept staring at the boy. "Josiah, this is Richard Brewer. He's my foreman." Richard just kept staring at the other boy, not knowing what to say. "Well, aren't you going to say hello?" John asked Dick. Dick pressed himself back against John. He didn't know why he was afraid of this newcomer. Maybe it was because the boy had obviously been in some kind of gunfight and he thought he might be violent. "He..hello." Dick said, timidly. The very pale, sickly looking, blonde smiled slightly. "Howdy." He replied. "It's okay, I won't bite ya." Dick slowly stepped forward a bit. "Thanks for patchin' me up." The new boy told Dick. Dick nodded. "No trouble." He replied. "Couldn't just let ya bleed out." Josiah smiled.

"Well thank ya all the same." He sad again. Dick nodded. John smiled at Dick then turned his attention to Josiah. "My boy, how exactly did you get all shot up like this?" He asked him. Josiah looked down at his now dressed wounds then slowly glanced back up at John. "I um..I don't know if ya wanna hear it or not.." He said, voice low. "I might not enjoy hearing it, young man, but I think I should know, for your safety and ours." John replied. Josiah sighed. "Alright..." He agreed. "I..um..I was riding with the um..the Dirty Underwear Gang...Out in liberty Missoura." Josiah admitted. John's eyes widened. "Why on earth would a bloody gang like that have an ten year old boy riding with them?" He asked in shock. "Eleven, sir." Josiah corrected. "And, They thought I could help patch people up...I was a doctor's apprentice before I joined the gang. The old man was like a father to me, but he died and I didn't have any family left." John sighed. "I'm very sorry, Josiah.." He said. "You have my condolences." Josiah nodded. "That's alright, Mr. Tunstall." He said, weakly. "I know he went to heaven. He was a good man." John nodded. "I'm sure he did." He replied. "So how come ya got all shot up?" Richard asked. "Richard..." John said, sternly. "It's okay, Mr. Tunstall..." Josiah said, before looking at Dick again.

"We were robbing a train a few days ago when some fella pulled a gun on the boss's brother. He pushed me in front of him and the bullet hit me instead of his brother...Guess I can't blame him much though. I ain't worth much anyway." John's eyes softened. "My dear boy, I know we've just met but please don't say such things. I assure you that you are worth a great deal." Josiah just smiled. "Well thanks, Mr. Tunstall." He replied. "It's been awhile since I've heard any kind words." John sighed. "Josiah, I hope I'm not being to forward, but I'd like for you to stay here with Richard and I. I don't want you out on your own again." Josiah gave him a really thoughtful look. "Well...You don't have to do that, Mr. Tunstall. I've been takin' care of myself for awhile now. I reckon I can keep on doin' it." John shook his head. "Nonsense." He said. "I won't have a young boy being out on his own in a place like this. You may stay here with Richard and myself. It's much safer." Josiah looked to be deep in thought. "Besides..." John added. "It'll be nice for Richard to have a friend a bit closer to his own age, won't it Richard?" Both John and Josiah looked down at the dark haired, dark eyed boy. Dick nodded. "Yes sir, it sure will be." He replied with a smile. Josiah grinned and looked from Dick to John.

"Well, Mr. Tunstall...I guess I could stay...but I ain't real good with cattle. Mostly just horses." John nodded. "You can start out working with the horses." He told him. "As for cattle, I'm sure Richard would be happy to show you the ropes, wouldn't you Richard?" Dick nodded. Josiah smiled. "Well, then I guess if it ain't to much trouble, I'd like to stay." John smiled. "Good." He said, nodding. "There's plenty of room in the bunkhouse. Once you're well enough you and Richard both can move your things out there. It'll be a pleasure to have you here, Josiah." Josiah smiled. "Thanks Mr. Tunstall...and my friends call me Doc." He said. Mr. Tunstall smiled and nodded. "Well it'll be a pleasure having you here with us, Doc." He corrected himself, giving the boy a friendly pat on the shoulder and a kind smile. Dick smiled too. It really was gonna be nice to have a boy his age living here too, even if he took a little time learning how to do a lot of the ranch work. Dick was perfectly happy now. After a whole year of being around no one except for adults, he finally had a friend his own age to pal around with. And very soon, though he didn't know if yet, he'd have yet another little shadow lingering at his side.

TBC


	3. Charley

It didn't take long for Doc to take to life on the ranch. As soon as he'd healed up from the bullet wound he'd started working with the horses in the stable, then soon after Dick had taken him out to the beef herd and taught him how to work cattle. It hadn't been as hard for him as Doc first thought it would be. In no time at all he and Dick were a perfect team when it came to working the cattle, but of course, Dick was still the leader. He seemed to need to be in a dominant position, so Doc just went along with it. He was his best friend now after all. Everything seemed to be going very well now for John and the boys, but one fateful Autumn night, their world was turned upside down. John came into the kitchen early one morning to find both Dick and Doc already dressed for the day and sitting down at the table for breakfast. Dick was reading from the town newspaper and Doc was listening with interested and wide eyes. "Good morning, gentlemen." He greeted them with a smile. "Mornin' John." They both replied in unison. John walked into the kitchen to get breakfast started, but he could hear the boys talking behind him. "What's it say he looks like?" Doc asked Dick. "Says he's real tiny, with dark hair and brown eyes, and he's kinda on the pale side." Dick replied. John raised an eyebrow in confusion and turned around. "What is it your reading?" He asked, approaching the table where the boys were sitting.

Dick handed John the paper. "Some kid escaped from the orphan train that came up from Mississippi." He explained. "The train was stopped in Albuquerque and he stole somebody's horse and took off on it." Doc added. John looked the paper over carefully. "Does the young man have a name?" He asked. "Top of the page." Dick said. John looked toward the top of the paper and sure enough there was a name in big bold letters. "Charles Raymond Bowdre." He read aloud. "Forty two and a half inches tall, thirty pounds in weight and eight years old. The boy is said to have dark brown hair and dark eyes to match it. Bowdre was last seen in Patricio outside of the general store trying to get away with a bag filled with stollen food. If you happen to see this boy please turn him over to the authorities and they will return him to the Chickasaw County Orphanage back in Mississippi." John stood, looking at the picture that was provided of the boy next to the story. "Tiny little thing, isn't he?" He muttered. Dick and Doc both nodded. "What if we find him, John?" Doc asked. John sighed. "Well, my boy, I doubt that he'll be in New Mexico for long with so many people looking for him." Doc and Dick didn't look away. They both expected some sort of answer.

John looked back up at them. "However..." He continued. "I suppose if we do find the boy, we can try to keep him out of the way of the authorities." He grinned and went back to preparing breakfast. Dick and Doc both smiled. It would be fun to have a little brother running around the ranch with them. "Oh, and by the way, gentlemen..." John spoke up again. Dick and Doc looked back over at him. "I'd like for you to lay out your Sunday clothes for dinner tonight. We'll be having company." Dick raised an eyebrow. "Company? Who is it?" He asked. John smiled and brought both boys over their plates that were filled with eggs and a couple slices of salt pork. "You remember Allison, don't you Richard? Alex and Susan's daughter?" He asked, setting the plates down in front of the boys before taking his own seat at the end of the table. Dick nodded. "Well..." John continued. "You remember she's been overseas in London, staying at my old cottage while she attended Medical school?" The boys both nodded. Doc knew this as well. He'd never formally met Allison McSween, but he'd written to her just like John and Richard had while she'd been in London. "Well, she's just graduated." John told them with a smile. "She boarded the ship to return to America three weeks ago, and then shortly after arriving in New York she boarded a train to Roswell. Alex and Susan took a wagon there this morning to pick her up. She'll be arriving home tonight, so I thought we'd celebrate."

Dick and Doc both nodded again as the ate their breakfast. "So is she a doctor now?" Dick asked John a few minutes later. John nodded. "That she is, Richard." He confirmed. "Only, Allison isn't just any kind of doctor, she's a psychologist." Doc swallowed his mouth full of food before asking, "What's that?" "Well, Doc, a psychologist is a doctor who specializes in treating mental illnesses. Allison will be practicing in Albuquerque soon at a mental rehabilitation facility for young children." Doc nodded in understand meant then continued to eat his breakfast. That was the last he and Dick thought about the subject until that night.

...

"Richard, will you tie this for me?" Doc asked as he struggled with his tie. Dick sighed and finished slicking back his jet black hair before approaching Doc and fixing his tie for him. "It ain't that hard to do." He mumbled. "Hey!" Doc snapped. "Sorry." Dick apologized. "Now come on, let's get back to the house. We gotta help with supper." Dick quickly walked out of the bunkhouse with Doc following him close behind. Before the two of them reached the house, though, they heard the sound of horses approaching. Dick looked over his shoulder at the trail that led to Lincoln and saw the McSween's buggy approaching the house. He smiled and hurried into the house. "John! They're here!" He said excitedly as he came into the kitchen, followed by Doc. John looked out the kitchen window to see the buggy coming down the trail. "That they are." He muttered, before turning to Dick and Doc. "Will you boys be so kind as the set the table for me, please?" He asked. The boys both nodded and went to get the plates, glasses, and silver wear down from the cupboards. They set the table carefully and then helped John bring the food out to the table from the kitchen. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. John smiled and walked across the house to the front door before opening it up to see Alex, Susan, and their daughter Allison standing in the doorway. "Good evening, my dear friends, come in, come in." John greeted them, ushering all three of them inside. "Good evening John Alex replied, smiling and shaking John's hand. "Hello, John." Susan said, accepting a hug from John. "Hello, John, it's very nice to see you again." Allison greeted John as she came inside. "Ah, Allison, you've grown into a beautiful young woman." John said, hugging the nineteen year old girl and kissing her cheek. "I trust that the cottage was to your liking?" He then asked her.

Allison nodded. "It was wonderful." She said with a smile. "I enjoyed London a lot. I hope to go back some day." John smiled. "Well I'm very glad you enjoyed yourself." He said. Allison smiled back at him, then her eyes focused on the two young boys behind John. "Hello, Richard." She greeted the boy who she'd met before leaving for school. "You've gotten bigger since last time I saw you." Dick blushed. "Howdy, Allison." He replied. "Good to see ya again." Allison hugged him and kissed his cheek before turning to Doc. "Now, you must be Doc." She said, with a smile. Doc's eyes widened. She was so beautiful, with her bright blue eyes and dark brown hair. He nodded slowly. "Yes m'am..." He confirmed, timidly. "That's me." Allison smiled brightly and kissed his cheek before hugging him too. "It's great to finally get to meet the little Shakespeare that wrote all the poems in the letters I received." Doc blushed and looked down at the floor. "You're very talented, you know." Allison continued. "I couldn't write like that to save my life." Doc smiled. "Thanks, m'am..." He said, shyly. "But I bet your a lot more talented than I am." Allison laughed softly. "Well aren't you just a sweetheart." She said, kindly before standing up.

Doc couldn't take his eyes off of Allison. He was in love. Dick looked over at Doc while the adults were talking. "You okay?" He asked. He asked him. "You look kinda out of it." Doc continued to stare at Allison. "Hello! Doc!" Dick tried again, snapping his fingers in front of the other boy. Doc came to suddenly and looked over at Dick. "What? Did you want somethin'?" He asked. Dick chuckled. "Gosh, Doc, you sure do seem to like Ali." Doc blushed a dark pink color. "I..I.." He tried to speak but couldn't. "Don't try to deny it, Pal." Dick said, amused. "I can see it in your eyes. You like her." Doc sighed. "Okay, fine, I do." He muttered. Dick smiled. "Hey, I don't blame ya." He said. "She's purdy." Doc smiled and turned back to look at Allison. "Well, dinner's ready." He heard John say suddenly. "Shall we eat?" Everyone nodded in agreement. Doc and Dick crossed the room to take their seats on either side of John. Allison came around the table and took the seat next to Doc. The blonde boy blushed and smiled up at her. Dick grinned. Doc had his first crush. It was kinda cute. Even if the girl was eight years older than him.

...

Most of the night went by peacefully. Dinner was great and while they all ate, Allison entertained everyone with stories about the time she'd spent in London while going to medical school. The girl was just in the middle of telling them about the time she and her classmates took a ferry across the English Channel to Paris during their summer vacation, when suddenly their peaceful evening was interrupted by a loud crashing sound outside, followed by the chickens sounding out in panic. "What on earth?" John muttered. Doc and Dick looked at him. "May we be excused, John?" Dick asked. "It's probably just that fox again. We can take care of it." John sighed. "Very well." He agreed. "You're excused, but be very careful." The boys nodded and got up from the table, grabbing their rifles off the gun rack by the door before heading outside.

"It came from inside the chicken coop." Dick whispered as he and Doc creeped up along side the coop. Suddenly lightning crashed in the sky, and a loud crack of thunder followed it. It looked light rain. Doc and Dick knew they'd have to get this done quickly before the storm hit. "Stay close." Dick said. "If we block the door it won't be able to get out." Doc nodded and he and Dick entered the chicken coop together slowly and carefully. They came through the door, rifles raised, expecting to see a fox, but instead they came face to face with a small boy who was trying to get away with a sack full of chicken eggs. "Hey!" Doc shouted. "Grab him!" Dick demanded. As soon as the words left Dick's mouth the little boy panicked and punched him hard in the face. Dick yelled out in pain and fell back. Doc tried to grab for the boy next and then he too took the boy's surprisingly hard fist to the face. "Ow!" He shouted and fell backwards next to Dick. The little boy jumped over them and made a break for the trail that led to Lincoln, but before he could get away, John and the others came running out of the house and stopped him in his tracks.

"What on earth is going on!?" John shouted, looking around for Dick and Doc. The boy slid to a stop in front of them all and looked up at them with wide, scared eyes. John, Alex, Susan, and Allison all looked down at him. The boy made a terrified face and tried to run away but Doc and Dick came up behind him and cut him off. He was surrounded. "Pl..please..don't..hurt me." He panted. Allison pulled a worried expression as she watched the boy start to hyperventilate. She gasped and pushed forward to get to the boy. "What's wrong with him!?" John asked, worriedly. Allison bent down next to the boy, who then fell to the ground, shaking violently and hyperventilating still. "He's having a panic attack!" She exclaimed, picking the boy up and rushing him towards the house. The boy's frightened eyes stared up at Allison before suddenly he gasped and feinted in her arms. Alex and Susan quickly followed her into the house and John gathered up Dick and Doc before following them as well. "What on earth happened to you two?" John asked the whimpering boys. "He hit us, John." Dick whimpered, rubbing his nose that was dripping blood down his face and onto his shirt. Doc sobbed quietly and held his face in his hands. "Let me see." John said, gently prying the boy's hands from his face and revealing a black eye where the little boy had hit Doc. John grabbed a couple of cool clothes and gave one to Doc, pressing it against his eye. "Hold that there." He told him. "It'll bring the swelling down." He then turned his attention to Dick. He gently wiped the blood from the boy's nose then pinched it gently with the cloth when it continued to bleed. "Tip your head back, Richard." He said.

Dick tipped his head back while John held the rag over his bleeding nose then a few moments later John took the rag away and allowed him to look back down. His nose wasn't bleeding anymore but it sure was sore. "Well, you'll both have a shiner, but I think you'll live." John said with a kind smile. "That kid's got a good arm on him for a little guy." Dick said, still holding the cold rag against his nose to help the swelling. Doc sniffled and nodded, still holding his rag against his black eye. "He's got fists like rocks." He whimpered. John sighed, and lifted the rag gently from Doc's eye. "He did do quite a number on you both didn't he?" He muttered.

Suddenly the guest bedroom door flew open and Alex came out. "I'm going to get the doctor." He said. "That little guy doesn't look to good." John nodded and watched him walk out to get the buggy. Dick and Doc looked up at John. "Are you two alright?" He asked. "Do you want some codeine powder?" Dick shook his head but Doc nodded. "Alright." John said, and stood up before walking to the kitchen to get the codeine down from the medicine cabinet. He poured a little bit of the powder into two glasses of water. "Here, Doc..." He said, walking back over to the blonde boy and handing him a glass, before turning to Dick. "Richard, why don't you have some too." He suggested, handing him the other glass. Dick took it willingly. He'd wanted the painkiller too but he had a tendency to act like a tough guy, so he'd acted like he didn't need it before. "Thanks, John." They both said. John ruffled their hair. "No trouble at all, lads." He replied, standing up. "Now, why don't you two go on and prepare for bed." He suggested. "I'm going in to check on the little one." The boys both nodded and stood up to go out to the bunkhouse, while John went back into the guest room to check on the strange little boy.

...

Dr. Mark Davis used his stethoscope to check the heart rate of the unconscious little boy who Allison McSween was currently rocking gently in her arms in John's old rocking chair. "How is he?" John asked, from where he stood behind the doctor with Alex and Susan. The doctor sighed and stood up. "Well his heart rate seems to have returned to normal, so he seems to be alright for now." Allison stroked the boy's hair gently. "Poor baby..." She said softly. John looked at the doctor. "What exactly is wrong with him, Doctor?" He asked. Doctor Davis turned to face all of them. "Well, John, there's nothing wrong with him physically." He said. "But, The boy has a lot very serious problems that I can't do anything about." John nodded. "It's psychological then?" He asked. The doctor nodded. "Yes sir." He confirmed, running a hand over his tired face. "What the boy's got is somethin' called Panic Disorder. People sometimes refer to it as "Weakness of the Nerves", and it's more than often passed off as cowardice, but in fact it's a very serious issue." John sighed. "Is there anything we can do?" He asked. Doctor Davis nodded slowly. "Actually there is..." He said. "See all I can do for him is give ya some sedatives to give him whenever he has an episode, but if the boy could see a psychologist regularly then we might be able to help him a lot."

"Our daughter just graduated from medical school." Alex spoke up. Susan nodded. "She's a certified psychologist now." The doctor looked back at Allison, who was still holding the little boy and rocking him back and forth gently, then back at John. He sighed. "John..." He said to the Englishman. "As a fellow christian man I know you'll agree with me when I say that this was no coincidence. I believe God sent that little boy here." John nodded before crossing the room and looking down at the little boy that Allison was rocking. He was so small, a lot smaller than a boy his age should be. His hair was a dark brown color, and his skin was pale. This was the little eight year old boy who'd escaped from the orphan train. This was Charles Bowdre. John looked back at the doctor. "You know who he is?" He asked. Doctor Davis nodded. "I won't say a word to anyone, John." He promised. "That boy needs a lot of love and care, more so than a normal child would. An orphanage won't give him that. He needs to be with you." John nodded and stroked the child's dark hair. This wasn't going to be the same as when he took in the other two boys. He was going to have to put a lot of time and effort into this boy. But even so, John was more than willing to take the child in and give him a home. Even though it was going to be difficult for awhile, he couldn't turn him away. The boy began to stir suddenly, whimpering as he squirmed. "Shh..." John whispered, leaning down as he continued to stroke the boy's little forehead to comfort him. "Don't fret, my boy. You're safe now." The boy's whimpering and squirming suddenly ceased and once again he was peacefully asleep in Allison's arms. John smiled. "You're home now." He whispered to the child. "Everything's going to be alright."

TBC


	4. Steve

John waited in the hallway at the hospital in New Orleans that he'd taken his new charge to for a recommended series of tests to determine what exactly his mental and emotional problems were and how they could be treated. What there doctor in Lincoln had considered just a case of panic disorder and nothing more had turned out to be panic disorder along with several other issues. So a three days ago John and little Charley had boarded a train to New Orleans and were now here in the mental health ward, getting the little guy a exam. Allison McSween had come along as well. Since she was Charley's physiologist the doctors were going to want to talk to her and give her some idea of how to treat Charley's problems. "I do hope that it's nothing to serious." John said as he and Allison waited for the doctor to call them back to the exam room. Allison gave him a reassuring hand squeeze. "The boy was able to plan and execute his escape from that orphan train in Albuquerque, John. I'm sure whatever he has it isn't affecting his brain to much."

John nodded. "I suppose your right, Allison." Ali smiled at him. Suddenly the door to the exam room opened and the nurse to the doctor stepped out. "Mr. Tunstall, the doctor would like to see you and Ms. McSween in his office." She said. John nodded and he and Ali stood and followed the nurse. The doctor was sitting behind his desk with a smile on his face, chuckling amused as little Charley sat on the couch in front of his desk, telling him some kind of story. The nurse shut the door behind John and Allison and looked at the doctor. "Doctor Camfield?" She asked. The doctor let out a great laugh all the sudden before looking up at the nurse and John and Allison. "Oh, come on in, Mr. Tunstall. Ms. McSween. Have a seat." John and Allison nodded and came and sat on the couch with Charley, who quickly climbed onto John's lap.

The doctor smiled at them all. "You'll have to excuse me, your boy there is quite the little entertainer." He was still chuckling as he spoke. John and Allison both smiled. "Well I'm glad that you two have gotten along." John said. The doctor nodded, as he wiped his watery eyes with a handkerchief before looking up at his nurse. "Anna, will you be so kind as to take young Charley to get a lollipop. He's been such a good little patient. He deserves a treat." He said to the nurse. The young woman smiled and held out her hand for Charley to take. "Come along, Charley." She said gently. Charley looked up at John. "Go on, my boy." He said with a smile. "Allison and I will be right out." Charley smiled and jumped down from John's lap before running over to the nurse and taking her hand. The young woman smiled and led Charley out of the room.

The doctor smiled. "He's a fine boy, Mr. Tunstall." He said. "Thank you, Dr. Camfield." He replied with a smile. The doctor nodded. "He seems a lot happier than the child Dr. Davis described in his letter." He said. John and Allison both nodded. "He's come a long way since he first arrived." Allison said. "That he has." John agreed. "Thanks to Ms. McSween, here, of course. She's been treating the boy ever since he came to us." The doctor nodded. "What school did you attend, Ms. McSween?" He asked. "London." Allison replied. "She graduated in the top of her class." John added. The doctor nodded. "A marvelous achievement, Miss McSween. I'm sure your parents are beaming with pride." He said with a smile. Ali blushed and smiled back. "Thank you, Doctor." She replied. The doctor gave a nod. "Your very welcome, young lady, but there's no thanks needed. An accomplishment such as this deserves all the praise in the world. Especially when you've been able to so successfully treat a patient in such little time, and when you've just graduated." He continued. Allison's blush got deeper. "Oh, doctor Camfield, stop, your making me blush." She giggled. John and the doctor chuckled a little.

"Well my lovely young colleague, as well as you're doing with young Charley, I do have some suggestions for his treatment. With your consent I'd very much like to share them with you both." Ali looked at John and they both nodded. The doctor smiled. "Wonderful...now, as you know Charley does have some other issues along with the panic disorder, which is what you've been treating him for so far. I've found that he also suffers from an abandonment issue known as Abandoned Child Syndrome. It's a long term abandonment issue that normally occurs shortly after the loss of one or both parents. Now, I know Charley is an orphan, so that's probably why he suffers from this, but I get the feeling that his parents didn't just die. Mr. Tunstall, did the orphanage happen to mention any kind of traumatic occurrence in his earlier years when you adopted him?

John thought for a moment. Shortly after Charley had arrived John had gone to the orphanage in Albuquerque where the orphan train had been taking Charley in the first place, and legally adopted him. While he had been there the orphanage supervisor had given him all the information he needed in order to take care of Charley. John nodded to the doctor. "They told me that his father was killed in a train crash. Right in front of himself and his mother too." The doctor sighed. "The poor child. That would explain the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that he also suffers from, but the Abandoned Child Syndrome is usually caused by a parent abandoning or neglecting the child." Doctor Camfield informed John.

John nodded. "It was more than likely his mother that caused it then when she left him at the orphanage. They told me that she left the boy there when he was four and promised to come back, but four years went by and she never came for him." He told the doctor. Doctor Camfield nodded again. "That would do it." He said, voice low. "That poor child. As sweet as he is you wouldn't think he'd had such a rough time with life." John and Ali both nodded in agreement. Doctor Camfield looked up at them again after awhile. "Now, the treatment I recommend for the Abandoned Child Syndrome is simply a lot of love and comfort. He needs to know that neither of you , or anyone he's close to for that matter, is going to leave him like his mother did. However, if the boy gets to attached to one of you that could cause separation anxiety, so in my opinion he needs the companionship of a another child his own age. Now, Charley has told me that you also have two other young boys with you at the time Mr. Tunstall." The doctor said.

John nodded. "Yes sir, I do. Richard and Josiah. They're a bit older than Charley though, but they are very helpful with him." He told the doctor. "Being older though, I assume that the other boys have other activities that they do together in which Charley usually gets left out, correct?" Dr. Camfield asked. John nodded. "Sadly yes, but I don't believe they mean to leave him out. He's simply uninterested in their types of entertainment." John said. The doctor nodded. "I have sons as well, Mr. Tunstall and I've often seen the same type of behavior with them. The younger ones just don't share the same interests as the older ones when it comes to fun and games, or even work for that matter. Which is why I think it would be beneficial to Charley's mental and emotional health if he had a young friend a bit closer to his own age." The doctor told John.

John raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting that I adopt another child, Doctor Camfield?" He asked. The doctor simply nodded. "I know it's no small task Mr. Tunstall, but I do believe that Charley's problems could become very close to being completely gone if he had a young companion to his own age to be with. And I'm sure there are plenty of children in New Mexico who would love to have a such a loving home as yours." John sat in silence for a moment, thinking the subject over. Ali looked at John anxiously until finally the Englishman finally looked back up. "If it will in fact help with his condition, I suppose I could take in a new little companion for Charles." He said. Ali smiled brightly and the doctor nodded approvingly with a grin. "I'm happy to hear it Mr. Tunstall." He said. "And as for the boy's post traumatic stress disorder and the night terrors, the therapy sessions with Miss McSween combined with some prescription sedatives before bed should work wonders for the boy." John and Ali nodded.

"Thank you, Doctor Camfield." John said as he stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "Yes, thank you, Doctor Camfield." Ali said then. The doctor kissed her hand. "My pleasure." He replied to both of them. "Have a safe trip home now." John and Ali nodded as they headed out of the office. "We will." John replied. "Good day, Doctor Camfield." John held the door open for Ali and they both walked out into the waiting room where Charley was waiting with the nurse, who was smiling and holding the child's hand while he sat there telling her some sort of story and licking a lollipop. John smiled. "Come along now, Charles. We've gotta catch our train in an hour." Charley looked up at them. "Okay..." He agreed, getting down from his chair before turning to the nurse and kissing her cheek. "Bye bye, Nurse Anna." He told her. The young nurse smiled and blushed. "Awe, bye bye sweetie." She replied, kissing his hand before letting go and watching him walk to John and take his hand and also take Allison's with the other hand before walking down the hall with both of them. They were heading home now, but the journey to cure Charley's illnesses had only just begun here. Luckily for the little boy though, his new companion that John was planning on adopting was going to arrive a lot sooner than anyone planned.

...

John had planned to pay a visit to the orphanage in a few months time once he could get the house prepared to shelter yet another child, but a few weeks before he planned on going to Albuquerque the new child ended up making an early appearance. It had been raining for several days in Lincoln and there was nothing but mud and puddles all over the ground outside. Normally in the spring time John would take the boys outside to have their lessons. Since he now had three boys to teach, the idea of enrolling them in the Lincoln school in town had been brought to his attention by Alex and Susan, but John preferred to teach the boys himself. For the last few days though, the boys had been having their lessons inside the house due to the rain, and one day in the middle of a writing lesson, a big thunderstorm blew in and John rushed all of the boys down towards the storm cellar outside.

"Hurry now, lads." John told them as he held a very scared Charley in his arms and followed Dick and Doc down the stairs of the storm cellar. Richard had the lantern so he was going down first with Doc following him and John coming behind them, carrying Charley. "Don't fret my boy..." John said to Charley as he closed the cellar door and followed the other boys down. "Everything's going to be just..." "Whoa!" Richard suddenly exclaimed and stopped in his tracks, before moving the lantern around and looking everywhere around the cellar. The others all stopped behind him. "What is it Richard?" John asked with concern. Richard turned to look at him, eyes wide with a fear John had never seen before. "There's somethin' in here, John." He whispered quietly so that Charley wouldn't hear him and get scared. John gave Dick a serious look and gently handed Charley over to Doc. "Hold on just a moment, Charles. I have to help Richard with something. John walked down the stairs to Dick and then took the lantern. "Hand me your gun, Richard." He said.

Dick pulled his gun from its holster and handed it to John. John looked back at the boys. "Stay close to me." He told them as he slowly walked around the cellar, shining the lantern light in every corner to check for whatever or whoever it was that Richard had seen. There didn't seem to be anything strange here, and John was about to give up the search, but suddenly when the lantern light shone on a barrel that had once stored apples, John noticed movement from inside, and a pile of apples that had know doubt once been in the barrel, lying on the ground next to it. "Stay right there, all of you." He said to the boys before slowly approaching the barrel with Richard's pistol cocked and ready if the need for it arose.

Charley was beginning to sob. "John..." He whimpered, wanting his adopted father to hold him and settle his fears. "It's okay, Charley." Doc assured him. "John's gonna take care of it." "Shh!" Richard shushed them. "Be quiet. You'll spook it." They all quieted down and watched John approach the barrel. Slowly John reached for the barrel lid and knocked it off the top of the barrel. He then took the lantern and held it above the barrel so he could see down into it. What he saw shocked and relieved him at the same time. At first all he could see was a little head full of messy brown hair, but then the owner of that head turned his their up to look at him and John found himself looking down into the big, scared brown eyes of a young boy. John breathed a sigh of relief and lowered the gun after pushing the hammer back down and unloading it. "It's alright lads." He called to the other boys. "There's no need to be afraid."

The three boys came closer and John lowered the lantern a bit so that the light wasn't blinding the mystery child. "Hello my boy. May I ask what you're doing in that barrel?" He asked the child. The little boy cowered down into the barrel. "It's alright lad." John assured him. "Come on out. There's no reason to be afraid." The boy then slowly began to climb out of the barrel where he'd been hiding. Once they could see all of him it was very clear that the child was an orphan. He looked half starved to death and he was absolutely filthy. Dirt streaked his pale skin from head to toe and his clothes were worn and tattered. John gave the boy a kind expression. "Hello young man." He greeted him. "What might your name be?" The boy coughed before replying with a very thick southern drawl, "Uh..I'm uh..Steven Stephens...Steve to my friends...some call me Dirty Steve." John nodded. "Steven. A fine name. My name is John Tunstall, and the young men behind you are Richard Brewer, Josiah Scurlock, and Charles Bowdre." The other boys waved to the new boy. He slowly waved back.

"It's nice to meet ya Mr. Tunstall." He said to John then, extending a hand. John shook the boys hand with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Steven." He replied. "Now, would you care to share with us how exactly you ended up in our storm shelter?" He then asked him. Steve looked at the floor. "I'm awful sorry bout that, Sir." He said, low. "It's jus' that I been out of food ever since I crossed the state line into New Mexico and well...I was real hungry." John nodded. "That's quite alright my boy. No harm done." He told the child. There was a long silence until John spoke once more. "Are you alone, Steven?" He asked. Steve nodded slowly, still looking at the ground. "I ran off so's they didn't throw me in no boys home after Pa died...I come all the way from Alabama. Been livin' out in the open country ever since." The boy explained.

John frowned. The poor thing. He looked like he'd been through a lot of rough times, and if there was anyone who could use a good home it was probably him. Maybe it was John's soft spot for troubled youth that pushed him to make the decision, or maybe it was just his kind, caring heart, but whatever the reason the fact still stood that John was in fact in desperate need of a companion for little Charley, and it just so happened that this boy was the perfect age for Charley to pal around with. "Well, Steven..." John finally said. "The wilderness is no place for a child to be living. I think it's time you found a home." The child shook his head in fear. "I don't wanna be put in no boys home, Mr. Tunstall." He said, frantically. "I heard real bad things about them sorts a places."

"Those sorts of places." John corrected him. "And what I meant was that I would be happy for you to stay here if you'd like." Steve looked confused for a moment. "But..but you don't even know me..." He said. John grinned. "Well what better way to get to know you?" He asked. "I've been looking to hire on a new hand for quite some time now, and I think you'd make a fine addition." Steve gnawed at his lip as he mulled the idea over in his head. "Are ya sure I won't be a bother?" He asked finally. "Most folks sorta look down on me on the 'count a I ain't got no learnin'." John just smiled at the boy. "Of course you won't be a bother." He assured him. "And as for the learning issue, we can fix that soon enough I'm sure. The decision is your's to make, Steven. Would you like to stay?" The other boys looked at Steve anxiously. The young ruffian thought long and hard about the decision at hand but finally he looked back up at them all and replied, "Yeah, I'd like to stay with ya'll, if'n ya don't mind." John smiled and ruffled the boys messy hair. He'd now welcomed his fourth member to the little family he'd made for himself here in Lincoln, and now little Charley would have a friend closer to his own age who would hopefully help him overcome his issues. Everything seemed perfect now, and John was perfectly content with his four adopted sons. But not long after Steve's arrival at the ranch, John was to be blessed with a fifth son, but this son was going to be a lot different than the others, that much was certain.

TBC


End file.
